Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot, when thou goest into the house of God, and draw nigh to hear. For much better is obedience, than the victims of fools, who know not what evil they do.

Keep your foot, whenever you go to the house of God; and [when you are] near to hear, let your sacrifice [be] better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.

2 Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Be not hasty with your mouth, and let not your heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.

3 Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.

For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.

4 If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.

Whenever you shall vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for [he has] no pleasure in fools: pay you therefore whatever you shall have vowed.

5 And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.

[It is] better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

6 Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.

Suffer not your mouth to lead your flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at your voice, and destroy the works of your hands.

7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.

For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear you God.

8 If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:

If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgement and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there is] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them.

9 Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.

Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled field.

10 A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.

11 Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?

In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding [it] with his eyes?

12 Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

13 There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.

There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.

14 For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.

And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.

As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go [with him] in his hand.

16 A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?

17 All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.

Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.

18 This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.

Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing [for a man] to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.

19 And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.

Yes, and [as for] every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.